The guy is a massive b.s. artist and he sold himself to that AD as the bald-headed version of Peter Smith. There was an e-mail floating around a few years ago that he sent to his team talking about how they were going to win a national championship. The hyperbole was not to be believed. An all-time classic!

The guy is a massive b.s. artist and he sold himself to that AD as the bald-headed version of Peter Smith. There was an e-mail floating around a few years ago that he sent to his team talking about how they were going to win a national championship. The hyperbole was not to be believed. An all-time classic!

Oh lord I would love to read that.....

What's frustrating for the sport in general is that a guy like that with public exposure, as well as a few commentators on TV who double dip with USTA pay checks, put out that malarky and the general person believes it is possible and reality.

After 30 years of service to Kansas State tennis, head coach Steve Bietau announced today that he is retiring effective at the end of the season.

"Kansas State University and K-State Tennis have been our family's lifeblood for 30 years, and after thorough reflection and discussion with my wife I have decided that it is time to step away," Bietau said. "To help facilitate the next steps and to ensure a smooth transition, I will be stepping away from the program as of today.

But still on the payroll for the rest of the season?

Quote:

Assistant coach Liz Ullathorne will lead the program for the remainder of the season, Athletics Director John Currie said. A national search for a new coach will be conducted later this spring.

NC State will be an enormous task but it seems like a solid hire. Might be a little harder in D1 when you can't recruit 26 year-old pros, but he seems up for the challenge. Silverio to Oregon is surprising. I'm sure she is a fine young coach, but I'm surprised that they couldn't find someone more accomplished/experienced for a Pac-12 job.

Yes. which is why I have said many times before. College tennis isn't good for players looking to play post college because there is no honest work towards development in college by coaches. Most coaches have recruiting programs not development programs. J.S. is the prime example, although he will tell you otherwise.

Nothing wrong with reloading when your players graduate, but for someone that touts himself as such a great player developer it sure does seem like he has an itchy trigger finger when it comes to cutting players that don't develop quickly. It's also interesting that he's so eager to take players that other college coaches have spent time developing.

He's a winner, no doubt. If it was football he would be praised as a tough-minded coach with a non-negotiable vision for his program, which is probably a pretty accurate description. I guess I just feel his process is a bit rough.